OT: slow readers
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OT: slow readers
My husband is a very slow reader. He doesn't have an obvious reading disorder. I'm not sure if that is something that could be improved, if he ever wants to look into that, or if this is just very normal for some people. I always assumed it was normal. He's smart and excellent with math. Spelling is not his strong suit, but he started doing crosswords at rehab and is good at them. Our daughter is slightly numerically dyslexic and that wasn't known until she was 18. It's worse when she's stressed or tired.
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I myself am a fast reader and I do feel impatience at meetings when someone who reads slowly and/or struggles w/words takes their turn at that day's reading. Rather than let myself be annoyed w/how slow they are, I try to focus on how grateful I am to be able to read quickly and well, how much I enjoy reading, and what a gift it is to have this ability.
I can't imagine the frustration of having dyslexia, either for words or numbers!
At a meeting I used to attend, one of the members shared that his older siblings had read to him when he was young, and as he followed along from his side of the book, he learned to read upside down, since that's the way he was seeing the pages! As time went on, he of course had to learn to read in the normal fashion, but he said that when he is alone, he still prefers to read upside down, in the way he originally learned. I can't imagine the connections in someone's brain to allow them to do both these things...
I can't imagine the frustration of having dyslexia, either for words or numbers!
At a meeting I used to attend, one of the members shared that his older siblings had read to him when he was young, and as he followed along from his side of the book, he learned to read upside down, since that's the way he was seeing the pages! As time went on, he of course had to learn to read in the normal fashion, but he said that when he is alone, he still prefers to read upside down, in the way he originally learned. I can't imagine the connections in someone's brain to allow them to do both these things...
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Join Date: Aug 2011
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Barring some disorder I really believe that practice is what helps. I'm a very fast reader but I've also been an avid reader since childhood.
I've also discovered recently that one of the reasons I read so fast is that I have learned to scan (don't know if that's the real term). You can catch the meaning of things without having to "read" every single word. This helps pick up speed. Of course, I don't always do this...sometimes the exact choice of words is important to the beauty and the meaning of what is being read.
I've also discovered recently that one of the reasons I read so fast is that I have learned to scan (don't know if that's the real term). You can catch the meaning of things without having to "read" every single word. This helps pick up speed. Of course, I don't always do this...sometimes the exact choice of words is important to the beauty and the meaning of what is being read.
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I have a weird reading style. I tend to look at the lower right hand of the page and scan backwards diagonally picking out words that pop. Reading from left to right line by line feels really hard to me. If a line contains a more complex group of words I will go back and pick it out left to right. Books were my absolute savior when I was a kid, I stayed in my room reading. I go through mountains but I wonder about my retention. I don't really retain a lot of names for instance. I am interested in handedness, I am left handed and I wonder if we gravitate to end on our anchor side.
I believe there are 3 different reading styles, skimming, scanning and deep reading. I gravitate towards words that float off the page and make assumptions about sentence structures.
I think of reading styles like eating styles. Some people tend to linger over food, and are highly involved with the process of eating. Others tend to wolf standing up in front of the fridge with the door open.
I haven't read tons about it but it would be cool to see a study comparing other habits to reading styles. I see the difference between myself and my husband. I am all over the place, leave drawers open, don't put lids on, do everything 1/2 way. I read like I live, jack of all trades, master of none (oh, well except alcoholism, got an A+ in that). My husband is much more methodical. His day is structured, hair is always perfect, well groomed, car is clean. (A little problem when I used his car a while ago and he got in the next day to plug in his phone and unfortunately I had stuck my gum there, oops). His reading style is left to right line by line. We have a joke that he has been reading the same book he brought on the plane on our honeymoon 17 years ago. But he retains names, places, dates much more thoroughly. He is very bright, but his thought processes are more consistent and organized. It sounds like your husband is more of this genre. I would be interested to hear about other members habits. Cool thread.
I believe there are 3 different reading styles, skimming, scanning and deep reading. I gravitate towards words that float off the page and make assumptions about sentence structures.
I think of reading styles like eating styles. Some people tend to linger over food, and are highly involved with the process of eating. Others tend to wolf standing up in front of the fridge with the door open.
I haven't read tons about it but it would be cool to see a study comparing other habits to reading styles. I see the difference between myself and my husband. I am all over the place, leave drawers open, don't put lids on, do everything 1/2 way. I read like I live, jack of all trades, master of none (oh, well except alcoholism, got an A+ in that
). My husband is much more methodical. His day is structured, hair is always perfect, well groomed, car is clean. (A little problem when I used his car a while ago and he got in the next day to plug in his phone and unfortunately I had stuck my gum there, oops). His reading style is left to right line by line. We have a joke that he has been reading the same book he brought on the plane on our honeymoon 17 years ago. But he retains names, places, dates much more thoroughly. He is very bright, but his thought processes are more consistent and organized. It sounds like your husband is more of this genre. I would be interested to hear about other members habits. Cool thread.
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Join Date: Mar 2013
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This IS interesting! I also "scan" rather than reading word by word. I am excellent at getting the big picture quickly. As Jaynie says, though, I often do not catch details and I don't necessarily retain things well unless I make a conscious effort to kind of "shift gears" into study/learning mode. Retention for me increases astronomically if I then write or type the information in my own words onto note cards or into the computer.
I work w/a lot of Hispanic folks and I'm trying to learn a bit of Spanish from them. However, I find it almost impossible to pick up words and phrases if they are only spoken to me, no matter how slowly they are spoken--I HAVE to see the words in print or I simply can't remember them. It's simply a gobbledygook of sound.
Something else--when AH and I look thru a magazine, he looks at the picture first, then reads the caption. I always read the caption first, then check the picture.
It will be interesting to see what others have to say. However, I fear our study sample is skewed, since those of us who use this format for our recovery are probably those who have a particular set of skills or inclination to start with.
I work w/a lot of Hispanic folks and I'm trying to learn a bit of Spanish from them. However, I find it almost impossible to pick up words and phrases if they are only spoken to me, no matter how slowly they are spoken--I HAVE to see the words in print or I simply can't remember them. It's simply a gobbledygook of sound.
Something else--when AH and I look thru a magazine, he looks at the picture first, then reads the caption. I always read the caption first, then check the picture.
It will be interesting to see what others have to say. However, I fear our study sample is skewed, since those of us who use this format for our recovery are probably those who have a particular set of skills or inclination to start with.
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Join Date: Mar 2013
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Originally Posted by honeypig 
I work w/a lot of Hispanic folks and I'm trying to learn a bit of Spanish from them. However, I find it almost impossible to pick up words and phrases if they are only spoken to me, no matter how slowly they are spoken--I HAVE to see the words in print or I simply can't remember them. It's simply a gobbledygook of sound.
. Check out FunEasyLearn "Learn Spanish 6000 Words" in the google play store.
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Lyssy, you may not believe this, but I don't have a cell phone other than the cheapo Tracphone that we keep for when one of us is going to be away and needs to call the other....
BUT--your post did point me to several free online "learn Spanish" sites, so thanks for the idea!
BUT--your post did point me to several free online "learn Spanish" sites, so thanks for the idea!
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Join Date: Aug 2011
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Dear Keepingthefaith.....I can't help but comment--'cause this is such an interesting thread!...LOL.
I will not presume to comment on your husband because I don't know enough about him--or how he even feels about his reading, etc.
I do know that many neurological patterns are genetic in origin. I have known of many adults who have had ADD--but were never aware of it until their children were diagnosed!! Even more true of females than males.
I find this whole area a very fascinating one. Our brains are like snowflakes (to me)--no two are exactly alike......
dandylion
I will not presume to comment on your husband because I don't know enough about him--or how he even feels about his reading, etc.
I do know that many neurological patterns are genetic in origin. I have known of many adults who have had ADD--but were never aware of it until their children were diagnosed!! Even more true of females than males.
I find this whole area a very fascinating one. Our brains are like snowflakes (to me)--no two are exactly alike......
dandylion
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 16,246
Please, all--forgive me for this brief intrusion into this thread---
Honeypig--what is this world coming to? I note such technical snobbery that is afoot these days. It is like if you only have a track phone and still sit at a computer to work or read an actual book with real pages---we are scorned as if we are some sort of fossil.
Arrrrgh!
Honeypig--what is this world coming to? I note such technical snobbery that is afoot these days. It is like if you only have a track phone and still sit at a computer to work or read an actual book with real pages---we are scorned as if we are some sort of fossil.
Arrrrgh!
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Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 453
Hello!
Your post caught my eye; I work with kids, teenagers, and adults with reading disorders (and other types of learning differences/disorders). There can be a number of things that can slow a person down when reading, and there are different types of therapy or assistance that can help. I've found with older kids, teenagers, and adults, that they've developed coping mechanisms that make them "read," but it's still a struggle because of underlying unaddressed problems. Without having met your husband, I can't say anything of course, but it's definitely worth looking into if it's frustrating for him.
And reading speed and fluency have absolutely nothing to do with intelligence. I've worked with many brilliant people with reading difficulties, but they feel ashamed because they struggle with reading. It's a stigma that I wish we could totally do away with!
Feel free to PM me if you'd like any more feedback.
Your post caught my eye; I work with kids, teenagers, and adults with reading disorders (and other types of learning differences/disorders). There can be a number of things that can slow a person down when reading, and there are different types of therapy or assistance that can help. I've found with older kids, teenagers, and adults, that they've developed coping mechanisms that make them "read," but it's still a struggle because of underlying unaddressed problems. Without having met your husband, I can't say anything of course, but it's definitely worth looking into if it's frustrating for him.
And reading speed and fluency have absolutely nothing to do with intelligence.
I've worked with many brilliant people with reading difficulties, but they feel ashamed because they struggle with reading. It's a stigma that I wish we could totally do away with!Feel free to PM me if you'd like any more feedback.
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